I took the photo on a glorious autumn morning almost exactly one year ago – 10.26 am, 29 October 2019, Labahe, Sichuan, China.
In Scotland, more than half a century earlier, Robin Williamson wrote my favourite autumn song.
Allegedly, October Song was the first song he ever wrote, as a teenager.
Robin Williamson was 22 years old when he delivered the “original” recorded version in 1966 – on The Incredible String Band’s eponymous debut.
October Song’s extraordinary, highly poetic quality was widely recognised, almost immediately.
Even a young Bob Dylan was moved to hail it as “quite good”.
(reputedly, it is one of the older Bob’s favourite songs)
Many great and not-great singers have recorded it; click here to access some noted versions.
Still, wonderful as the song is, every version I have ever heard has left me still hankering for a “definitive” rendition.
On November 13 Martin Simpson will issue Home Recordings.
His new album is truthfully titled.
Arguably, it includes the finest recording of October Song, to date:
(Martin Simpson’s new disc also includes his take on a “quite good” song that Bob Dylan wrote at age 22, when Martin was 10)
❤️
And it’s amazing he wrote it so young.